Parking meter support



&193330 July 6, 1965 I J.H. CRANKSHAW PARKING METER SUPPORT Filed Aug. 26, 1965 INVENTOR.

JOHN H. CRAVKS'AW CM %M m w M m 7 V 5 w 4 9 v 7////1 a a I. u I//l/l//l/II/III//I//Il//l1// 7. I I M 2 United States Patert O i 3,193,230 PARKING METER SUPPORT John H. Crankshaw, 439 Shawnee Drive, Eric, Pa. Filed Aug. 26, 1963, Ser. No. %4,562 8 Claims. (Ci. 248-160) This invention relates to supports and, more particularly, to parking meter supports, traffic signs, pole markers, and the like.

This application is a continuation in part of patent application, Serial No. 795,()54, filed February 24, 1959, now abandoned.

Parking meters of the type commonly used in business districts of cities and towns have the disadvantage of being damaged when struck by automobiles, trucks, or other vehicles. The necessary location of these meters along curbs and the relatively small size of the ordinary support post tend to make collisions with the post a common occurrence with damage resulting therefrom.

The present invention is suitable tor supporting signs, mail boxes, railings, fences, and other types of devices to be supported; however, it has especial utility for supporting parking meters. The adaptation of the present invention with present parking meters and traflic posts will make the parking meter supports immune to damage by engagement by vehicles.

More specifically, it is an object of this invention to provide a parking meter support which is simple in construction, economical to manufacture, and simple and eflicient in use.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved parking meter support.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a parking meter support having an improved resilient attaching means.

A further object of this invention is to provide a support tor parking meters of durable Construction which may be struck by a motor vehicle without injury to either the post or the vehicle.

With the above and other objects in View, the present invention consists of the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes may be made in the form, size, proportions, and minor details of Construction without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

The figure of the drawing is a cross sectional View of a parking meter support according to the invention with a parking meter post mounted thereon.

Now with more particular reference to the drawing, the combination parking meter and support is shown therein. An upper tubular member 9 has a parking meter of the type familiar to those skilled in the art attached to its upper end. A tube support 7 terminates at its upper end in a reduced size end 10 which fits snugly into an upper tube 9 and is secured thereto by a rivet 8. The lower end of the tube 9 rests on an upwardly directed shoulder 11 of the tube support 7 The lower end of the tube support 7 is flared outwardly; that is, it has a frusto-conical portion 12 which has its apex end intergral with the lower end of the tube support 7 and its base end 13 integral with the base of a trusto-Comical portion 14. The frusto-conical portion 12 has sides which extend outwardly and downwardly at an angle of approximately forty-five degrees. The frustoconical portion 14 has sides which extend downwardly and inwardly at an angle of approxirnately forty-five degrees.

The lower apex end of the trusto-Comical portion has downwardiy directed teeth 15 arranged generally in a cir- &1%,23 Patented July 6, 1965 ice cular pattern and the outer ends of the teeth are rounded to form a toroidal edge 16.

A base 2 is generally round in plan View. It has a flat bottom 17 suitable to be supported on the top surface of a cement sidewalk or other suitable'support. An annular flange 18 extends upwardly from the base 2 slightly higher than teeth 20 and it has a rounded upper edge 19. Spaced notches are formed in the flange 18 which extend down flush with a surface 21. These notches provide a path for water and foreign materials to escape. The upwardly directed teeth 29 are integral With the base 2 and are disposed around in the form of a ring thereon. These teeth 20 mate with the downwardly directed teeth 15 on the tube support 7.

There is a space shown between the outer ends of the teeth 20 and the inner edge of the flange 18 which allows the tube support 7 to rock laterally and the rounded edges 16 of the teeth Will roll on the flat upper surface 21 between the teeth and the flange.

The base 2 has spaced holes therein which receive a U-bolt 3 which has nuts 4 thereon. The U-bolt 3 may be embedded in the concrete of a sidewalk or some other suitable anchoring device.

Being entirely above ground, the assembly is selfcleansing of condensation and other liquids. The teeth on the base insure that the unit always remains facing the same Way, regardless of the direction of tilt.

An eyed member 22 is integrally fixed to the center of the base 2 and the eye of the member 22 receives a hook 23 of a tension spring 5. The upper end of the tension spring 5 has a stud 6 which receives a nut 1. This stud extends through a central hole in an inwardly directed fiange 24 which is integral with the tube support 7. The spring 5 is of such tension that it requires a horizontal force of between fifty and one hundred pounds applied to the meter at the top of the support to tilt it. This force is for safety purposes; for example, for preventing small boys from bouncing the meter against car fenders.

The base 2 may be fixed to a concrete sidewalk by means of a suitable epoxy resin or any other suitable adhesive which will Supplement the force of the U-bolt 3.

The foregoing specification sets forth the invention in its preferred practical forms but the structure shown is capable of modification within a range of equivalents without departing from the invention which is to be understood is broadly nove] as is commensurate with the appended claims.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

ll. In combination, a parking meter and a support there for,

said support comprising a Vertically extending tube support terminating at its upper end in a rcduced size end,

an upper tube attached to said parking meter and receiving said reduced size end,

means fixedly connecting said tube support and said tube together,

the lower portion of said tube support being of a greater diameter than the parts of said tube thereabove, downwardly extending teeth on the lower end of said tube support,

a base,

said base having a relatively flat lower surface adapted to rest on a cement surface,

said base having upwardly extending teeth thereon,

said downwardly extending teeth intermeshing with said upwardly extending teeth,

and a tension spring in said tube support,

the upper portion of said spring being fixed to said tube support,

the lower end of said' spring being fixed to said base Whereby said tube support and said tube are urged to vertical position when a lateral force is exerted on said tube support.

2. The combination recited in claim 1. whereir said lower portion of said tube support is flared out` wardly and downwardly defining a frustum of a first conehav'ng sides slopihg outwardlyand downwardly at an angle of approximately forty-five degrees,

said lower portion sloping downwardly and inwardly from the base of said frustum of a cone defining the frustum of a second cone having its base coincident with the frustum of said first cone and terminating at its lower open end in said downwardly extending teeth.

said base having an upwardly extendng, generally circular flange thereor generally concentric to said fusturns of said cones and disposed beneath the outer edges thereof, V

said flarge being adapted to engage the outside surface of said frustum of said second cone when said tube support and said tube are forced to incline laterally whereby the inclinaiton of said tube supportand said tube is restricted.

3. The combination recited in claim 2 wherein said downwardly extending teeth have generally vertically extending, outwardly facing lateral edges,

said vertically extending edges being approximately the same height as said flange.

4. The combination recited. in claim 3 wherein the outer lower corners of 'said downwardly facing teeth are rounded e and an annular, generallyt flat surface is disposed on said base between said upwardly extending teeth and said flange,

said outer lower corners of said downwardly extending teeth being adapted to rock on said annular surface and a U-shaped bolt has its ends extending through said holes,

said U-shaped bolt being adapted to be embedded in cement.

6. The combination recited in claim 1 wherein said flange has spaced notches therein extending downwardly to said base for Water to escape therefrom.

7. In combination, parking meter and support therefor,

said support comprising a tube support,

means supporting said parking meter on said tube support,

the lower end o f said tube support tenninatng in downwardly directed teeth dsposed generaliy in a circle,

a base,

said base having a flat lower side adapted to be attached to the top surface of a sidewalk,

anupwardly extending annular ange disposed on said base,

spaced upwardly extending teeth attached to said base generally in a circle spaced nwardly from said ange,

said teeth on said tube support meshing with said teeth of said base,

said flange being slghtly higher than said teeth on said support,

and a tension spring in said tube support,

the upper end of said tension spring being fixed to said tube support and the lower endof said spring being fixed to said base,

a portion of said tube support overlying said flange and adapted to engage said fiange when said tube support is deflected laterally. i

8. The conbination recited in claim 7 wheren the outer edges of said teeth on said tube support define a toroidal shape adapted to rock on said base between said teeth thereon and said fiange when said tube support is deflected laterally.

No references cited. 

1. IN COMBINATION, A PARKING METER AND A SUPPORT THEREFOR, SAID SUPPORT COMPRISING A VERTICALLY EXTENDING TUBE SUPPORT TERMINATING AT ITS UPPER END IN A REDUCED SIZE END, AN UPPER TUBE ATTACHED TO SAID PARKING METER AND RECEIVING SAID REDUCED SIZE END, MEANS FIXEDLY CONNECTING SAID TUBE SUPPORT AND SAID TUBE TOGETHER, THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID TUBE SUPPORT BEING OF A GREATER DIAMETER THAN THE PARTS OF SAID TUBE THEREABOVE, DOWNWARDLY EXTENDING TEETH ON THE LOWER END OF SAID TUBE SUPPORT, A BASE, 